


By Flowers Rather Than Words

by old_starlit



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Fluff, M/M, This is so cliched
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-07-15 12:28:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7222318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/old_starlit/pseuds/old_starlit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tumblr Prompt: Person A owns a flower shop and person B comes storming in one day, slaps 20 bucks on the counter and says “How do I passive-aggressively say fuck you in flower?”</p><p>John Laurens owns a small flower shop. Everything changed when Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton walked into his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By Flowers Rather Than Words

**Author's Note:**

> There are actually two other fics about this prompt ("The Language of Flowers" and "Geraniums for Stupidity") so check them out!

It was a lazy day at the flower shop John worked at. The shop, _Redefining Flowery_ , located in Washington D.C, was small and in there was a flower in every nook, the walls practically bursting with color. He closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the sound of the small fountain in the corner. No one else was in the shop, so he sat at the counter, drumming his fingers on the tabletop.

The little bell above the door rang, and John looked up and saw a young man rush in. He had dark eyes and hair and his hands were tapping at his sides as if he couldn’t contain his energy. He spotted John and headed to him. John’s heart stopped when he recognized his face—Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. _In his flower shop_.

He straightened immediately. “G-Good morning, Mr Hamilton,” he stammered.

Alexander gave him an easy smile. “Please, call me Alex.”

“O-of course,” John said, shocked as to how he suddenly got to nickname-basis with Alexander Hamilton. The secretary was practically famous, as his interviews and constant arguments with anyone who disagreed with him were viral. He had half a million followers on Twitter, where he commented on social issues. 

John took a quick breath and recomposed himself. “What can I get you?”

“Well…” Alex leaned forward and whispered, almost conspiratorially, “How do i passive-aggressively say fuck you in flower?”

“You want to say _what_?” John asked in shock, completely confused as to why the _Treasury Secretary_ just asked him that. 

Alex held up his hands. “Sorry, that was probably out of line. It’s just that I’ve been asking so many flower shops, but no one seems to know. I’ll, uh, I’ll go now.” He began to walk away awkwardly.

“Wait!” John called out. “I have exactly what you need.”

Alex turned around, delighted. “Really?” he asked, uncontained excitement in his voice. John couldn’t help the grin that spread on his face.

“Yeah.” John shrugged, walking around his shop and picking up a variety of flowers. “I’ve given my fair share of hate bouquets.”

Alex practically bounced on his heels. “This is amazing! I can’t wait to see the look on Jefferson’s face!”

“This is for the Secretary of State?” 

“Yup,” Alex confirmed. “I’d tell you what he did wrong but it might take all night.”

John laughed as he began to assemble the bouquet, placing geraniums, foxglove, meadowsweet, yellow carnations in it, and finished by filling orange lilies in every empty spot. “I have heard Jefferson’s views and I have to say they are…” He searched for the right word. “Distasteful.”

“ _Exactly_ ,” Alex agreed. “Which is why I need these flowers.”

When John was done, he pushed the bouquet over to Alex. “Good luck with this,” he said, giving Alex a smile.

Alex slid a twenty dollar bill across the counter. “That’s to stay quiet,” he joked.

John placed the money in the cash register. “My lips are sealed,” he promised.

Alex took the bouquet, then checked his phone and swore. “Shit. G-Wash wants me back in 10.” It took Jon a second to realize he was talking about the _President of the United States of America_. And Alex just called him _G-Wash_.

Alex began to head out the door. “Thanks for the bouquet!”

John recovered in time to say, “Happy to help. Have a nice day!”

Alex waved and ducked out of the shop. A second later, he darted back in and asked, “I never caught your name.”

John gave a start and smiled. (He was smiling a lot today). “John. John Laurens.”

Alex nodded, giving him one of those award-winning grins. “Well, I’ll see you around, John Laurens,” he said, heading back out once more.

John certainly hoped so.

 

A week had passed and John had almost forgotten about Alex. Wait, no. That was a lie. He couldn’t help but hope he’d visit him again. Every time the Treasury Secretary’s name was mentioned, he’d jump at the thought of him again. _God_ , he had it bad.

His employee, Martha Manning, was restocking the flowers while he was dealing with customers. They had a busy day today, and the two were both exhausted. It was closing time when a last customer walked in.

“We’re just about to close,” John said, flipping through a magazine of flower seeds. He really wanted some calendulas to brighten up the shop.

“Ah, can’t you make an exception for me?”

John’s head snapped up at the voice and he couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. “Alex. What can I do for you?” 

Alex looked around the shop, examining the flowers, before heading up to the counter.

“I need a flower that says ‘sorry’. Something that asks for forgiveness?”

“Ask for forgiveness?” John mused, looking over his flowers. “If you don’t mind me asking, who’s it for?”

“Eliza,” Alex replied. “I get her a flower every year since we broke up.”

John selected a hyacinth. “Broke up?”

“Yeah,” Alex shifted awkwardly. “You know. I wrote a pamphlet…?”

“Oh.” John remembered how Alex had cheated on his girlfriend, then wrote a pamphlet on it, almost ruining his political career. “Are things okay now?”

“After she burned all my stuff, we’re friends now.” At John’s skeptical expression, he added, “It’s true! She’s even dating Maria Reynolds now.”

John shook his head, wondering how the heck Alex’s two exes managed to go out together. He began to arrange the bouquet of hyacinths, trying to ignore how his heart plummeted at the mention of Alex’s girlfriend. Of _course_ he was straight, and the last person John should fall for was the Treasury Secretary.

“Yeah, Eliza’s doing great now,” Alex continued conversationally. “She picked up art. Started to paint.”

“She paints?” John looked up. “So do I. Most of the time I sketch, but.” He shrugged. “It’s a nice stress reliever.”

“That’s what she said.” Alex nodded, before looking John over. “So you’re an artist too?” He slipped on a smile. “Question: are all artists cute?” 

“Um,” John said eloquently.

“Yes,” Alex decided. “They definitely are.”

He paid for the bouquet and slipped out of the shop, but not before winking at John, leaving him utterly confused. Martha poked her head out of the supply closet. “Did the Secretary of Treasury just _flirt_ with you?” 

“Um,” John said again.

“Oh my gosh,” Martha replied, with a grin across her face. “You _liike_ him, don’t you?”

John let his head bang against the counter.

 

The past few months were rather busy for John, but he still always looked forwards to the once-in-awhile visits from Alex, asking him about various meaning for flowers.

“How can I say ‘congratulations? My friend just opened up his clothing store.” A day later, John noticed that one Hercules Mulligan (a very interesting name, John might add) opened up a new store across the street from John.

“How can I say ‘sorry I spilled coffee on your laptop, Mr. President’?” Alex inquired once. John had laughed, until he realized Alex was actually serious. He decided not to ask.

“What flower says ‘talk less, smile more’? I want to rip it up in front of Senator Burr,” he had requested one day. John took gave him two flowers and sincerely hoped he was joking.

After Alex began to visit frequently, he began to have other customers. Two young women dropped by, one in pink, one in yellow, and they asked, “I need a bouquet that means ‘love rejection’’? Got anything?”

John at first gave them an acacia blossom, but, after surveying it, the pink-clothed girl said, “It’s a bit too...pretty. You know what I mean?”

John nodded understandingly. He thought for a moment, before grinning and giving them a bouquet of withered flowers, ones that he had been meaning to toss out. “Does that satisfy your needs?”

The women took it, looking so delighted John felt slightly bad for whoever was receiving the bouquet.

After they purchased the bouquet, the Secretary of State, _Thomas Jefferson_ , walked in, tailored clothes looking out of place in the dingy shop.

The two girls passed him, disgusted expressions on their face, and the one in yellow thrust the bouquet at him. “Enjoy, Jefferson,” she said, before exiting the shop.

John raised his eyebrows at him. Jefferson looked at the flowers and dropped them on the floor with a sigh and a shrug. “Well, I’m over them now.”

He approached the counter and asked, “What flower means ‘I’m not as straight as I thought and I’m kind of gay for you’?”

John took a moss rosebud and handed it to him, saying, “I’m sure Madison will love it.”

Jefferson turned red (a sight he thought he’d never see) before slamming money down on the counter and stalking out of the room, muttering, “I don’t—I’m not—how did he know—”

A few weeks later, another customer walked in. “I need a flower that is usually for Father’s Day,” he asked, voice accented. “Something maybe for gratitude.”

“You want to thank your father?” John asked, walking around the counter and reaching up to grab a cluster of azaleas on the shelf. 

“Well, no,” The man said, reaching in his pocket for his wallet. “It’s for the President.”

“Okay…” John said, handing the flower to the man. “Do you have an idea why all these political figures are coming into my shop?” He meant it as a joke and was surprised when the man answered.

“Ah, that would be Alexander Hamilton.” He gave a fond smile. “He’s taken to coming to this flower shop to give flowers on various occasions.” He turned to the door. “I, however, believe he just wants an excuse to keep coming here.”

 

It was mid-February, and snowflakes were falling down as John was rummaging in his pockets for his key to open the shop. He fumbled with them, blinking snowflakes out of his eye, before unlocking the door.

“John! John!” John looked up at the familiar voice and saw Alex rushing towards him.

“It’s six in the morning!” He said in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“I need flowers,” Alex said. “It’s _urgent _.”__

__John opened the door with an eyeroll, although he was smiling. Alex practically skipped in._ _

__“What do you need?” John asked taking his usual place behind the counter._ _

__Alex quirked his eyebrow. “Why, my dear Laurens, do you have any idea what day it is?”_ _

__John groaned. “Valentine’s Day. Of course.” He nodded to the supply closet. “I’m trying to forget about it, to be honest. We keep having to restock on roses.”_ _

__“Ah,” Alex meandered through the shop. “Therefore, I obviously need a flower for the occasion.”_ _

__“Who’s the lucky lady?” John asked trying to ignore the lurch in his stomach._ _

__Alex leaned on the counter. “Well, _he_ is a very nice person who helps me out from time to time. I doubt he reciprocates my feelings, but, hey, it’s worth a shot.”_ _

__“Who could not reciprocate your feelings?” John murmured absentmindedly. He meant for Alex not to hear, but based on the faint pink tinge that spread across his cheeks, he did._ _

__“Anyway,” Alex continued, face still slightly flushed. “I need a flower that says ‘I love you’.”_ _

__“Let’s see…” John said, thinking. “The rose is the obvious choice, but…”_ _

__“Too mainstream,” Alex agreed. “Actually, I did my research, and I already have some in mind.”_ _

__John glanced around his shop. “Let’s hear it.”_ _

__Alex began to pace around the tiny shop. “First, a yellow tulip.”_ _

__John grabbed the last yellow tulip and set it on the counter. “Sunshine in your smile,” he said offhandedly. Alex smiled softly and nodded, looking so lovestruck John couldn’t help but be jealous of whoever the flowers were for. “Next I need a red camellia, for passion.”_ _

__John took a few camellias and added them to the bouquet. “What else?”_ _

__“And lastly…” he paused for dramatic effect. “A pink bleeding heart flower.”_ _

__John took a couple of sprigs and finished the bouquet, wrapping it in pink paper. “That is quite the message,” he commented. “You must be really head-over-heels for this person.”_ _

__“Oh, believe me, I am,” Alex confirmed. He took the bouquet and stood there for a moment, as if unsure what to do, before flashing a grin at John. He extended his arm across the counter and offered John the bouquet. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”_ _

__John took the bouquet almost numbly, staring at the flowers, mind still catching up to what just happened. He looked back at Alex and said, “What?”_ _

__Alex laughed nervously. “This is your cue to give some kind of sign of either rejection or acceptance.”_ _

__John, recovering from his shock, placed the bouquet down on the counter for safekeeping, and took a ambrosia stalk from the shelves behind him and handed it to Alex._ _

__Alex was clearly confused, unsure of what the flower meant and John held out his hand. “That’s twenty dollars for the bouquet and the sprig of ambrosia.”_ _

__Alex’s face fell into disappointment and he sighed, giving John a twenty dollar bill. John took it and began to walk towards the shop exit._ _

__“Where are you going?” Alex asked, running to catch up with him._ _

__“Well,” John said, a smile slipping on his face. “I needed the money to buy you a coffee. Starbucks is always good for a first date, and it’s open at this time.”_ _

__Alex grinned, relief written across his face. He was clutching the ambrosia stalk tightly with one hand and took John’s hand in the other, leading him out the door._ _

__“What was it?” John asked, as they made their way to Starbucks, hand in hand with Alex, snowflakes dusting his hair. “There’s sunshine in my smile?”_ _

__Alex simply laughed, and John was looking forward to hearing that laugh for the rest of his life. “I wish, my dear Laurens, it might be in my power, by flowers rather than words, to convince you that I love you.”_ _

__John laughed as well, leaning into Alex. “You never needed a flower to tell me that.”_ _

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this tumblr post: http://koscheiis.tumblr.com/post/145738369188/flower-shop-au


End file.
